Indiegogo

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: This business provides no consumer protection against fraudulent claims and activities by its clients. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/22) */
Indiegogo is an open platform that permits campaign owners to raise funds for a wide range of projects in accordance with our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms). Contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take...

place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment processor, and are non-refundable by Indiegogo, as stated in our Terms of Use. Indiegogo does not manage campaigns; instead, Campaign Owners run and are responsible for their own campaigns.
It is important to note that contributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made product. Indiegogo does not make claims or verify that a campaign owner will deliver perks and instead recommends that each contributor go through their own vetting process before they decide to contribute. We have compiled a list of how to evaluate a campaign, as a good starting point: https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXX-How-to-Evaluate-a-Campaig...⇄ /> That said, like anyone supporting an early-stage project, contributors accept the risk that the project might not come to fruition. Many campaign owners are able to use the funds raised from their Indiegogo campaign to help bring their ideas into reality. However, there are times when projects do not go according to plan or the campaign owner experiences an insurmountable barrier to completing their project. In all cases, we still require Campaign Owners to be communicative to their contributors, be transparent about the status of their project, and work with their contributors no matter the outcome of their project.
For the campaign in question, I see that the campaign owner has posted a clear timeline on their campaign page (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/airing-the-first-hoseless-maskless-micro-cpa...⇄ There they outline that their best estimated delivery date is July 2017, and have been posting updates to their project.
Regarding the request for a refund, our records show that this backer's contribution has already been sent to the campaigner, which means that Indiegogo can no longer issue a refund. If this customer is still interested in receiving a refund, we recommend they get in touch with the campaign owner directly. Learn more about our Refund Policy (https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXX).
We have already provided this customer with the campaign owner's contact information, in an effort to facilitate communication between the two parties.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/09/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I feel, regardless of the "Terms of Use" that Indiegogo should ultimately responsible for campaigns they have "sponsored" - I have tried multiple time to try to contact the campaign owner with absolutely no luck. So that means I'm high & dry for $318 USD. How much did Indiegogo make this past year ? I see that the campaign has garnered more than $1,000,000 in donations; therefore a return of my $318 USD donation would be a drop in the bucket. I recently made an on-line order with "Beyond the Rack", had second thoughts about the order, cancelled it within minutes & received a refund, no questions asked. Why does Indiegogo feel that they are not accountable ? They should be held accountable, and if I cannot contact the campaign owner with the information supplied by Indiegogo, I feel that Indiegogo should make better efforts at contacting the campaign owner regarding my issue/donation refund or Indiegogo should refund me my donations & then go after the campaign owner to recoup the same amount of money. I am thoroughly disappointed that a company similar to Kickstarter can get away without being accountable - every product that I have donated to with Kickstarter has been received by me - I have yet to receive any products from campaigns that I donated to through Indiegogo. I am at a loss how they can get away with this & I was hoping that the Revdex.com would have more pull regarding my issue. Indiegogo does not even have the guts to respond to the past 3 emails I have sent them regarding this issue - they just seem to be washing their hand regarding my concerns or passing [redacted] buck - but by passing [redacted] buck back to the campaign owner, could they not at the very least provide me with a phone number of the campaign owner. I would be curious to find out if Revdex.com has received any other complaints regarding the Airing LLC CPAP campaign & if they were satisfied with the outcome. This complaint does is not about a huge amount of money - only $318 USD - why can't either Indiegogo fess up and return my donations or have the responsibility & accountability to contact the campaign owner (since they were the so-call "mother ship" to begin with & got the campaign started) and ensure that the campaign owner get in touch with me or, more importantly, return my donations.
I have talked long enough. I hope it is not in vain & that a compatible solution can be resolved.
Respectfully,
[redacted]
P.S. Please post this submission so that anyone else thinking of donating to the Airing LLC CPAP campaign can make a more informed & smarter decision than I (and probably many others) have made.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2015/10/20) */
We understand this customer has additional points, here.
As has been previously outlined, Indiegogo provides an open crowdfunding platform permitting funds to be raised for a wide range of projects in accordance with our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms). Campaigns are run by their individual campaign owner's and not by Indiegogo. Indiegogo does not manage campaigns, nor does Indiegogo offer perks. Instead, all perks are offers made by Campaign Owners, and we recommend to any contributor who has questions about a campaign's offerings that make inquires of the campaign owner.
Regarding the request for a refund, our records show that this backer's contribution has already been sent to the campaigner, which means that Indiegogo can no longer issue a refund. If this customer is still interested in receiving a refund, we recommend they get in touch with the campaign owner directly. Learn more about our Refund Policy (https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXX).
The campaign owner has been responding to comments posted to their campaign, this customer may consider contacting the campaign owner there: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/airing-the-first-hoseless-maskless-micro-cpap...⇄ /> We have already provided this customer with the campaign owner's contact information, in an effort to facilitate communication between the two parties. This is all the information we have to share, and wish this customer the best of luck in resolving this matter with the appropriate party- the campaign owner.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 17, 2015/10/26) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The campaign has offered to refund $194 USD to me of the total of $318 USD that I paid.
The campaign person stated that Indiegogo retains a certain portion of my donation, which I would assume would be the remainder of $318 after $194 is taken off the total of $318.
I see no reason why Indiegogo cannot refund me the outstanding amount after $194 is subtracted from $318.
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
when I made my purchase I never read or were offer a statement where as indiegogo said ,I assume the risk of not been deliver in the product that I purchase, when I made my order  back in August I was offer a delivery by November which was never deliver, later on I receive an update on 12/07/2015 from indiegogo apologizing for not delivering as I attached ,promising a delivering date by February ,which also came with no delivery, ,my credit card was charge by indiegogo not by the campaign owner as they claim, so for me I wonder how many people like me were charge and not delivering and now indiegogo just said we don't have the money because it was send to the campaign owner, really? This to me is called fraud,,so let's say I buy an  "shirt X" brand to let's say [redacted] , and [redacted] charge my c/card, but the shirt never gets deliver, [redacted] never said oh! Well that's not my problem it's the "X" brand problem, take your complain to them, right? That never happens,  so indiegogo or whoever keeps the money products never get deliver and the customer losses his money,and no big deal,ITS NOT SUPOUSE TO HAPPEN UN THIS COUNTRY,.some body has to investigate indiegogo for this fraudolent kind of business practices, I still expect a refund on my card or I will go farther with my complain.
Sincerely,[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2014/03/14) */
Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform which empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to them. Our Terms of Use (http://www.indiegogo.com/about/terms) obligates campaign owners to fulfill any promised perks. Perk...

fulfillment is the full responsibility of the campaign owner. The Terms of Use at the time of the contribution states,
"Perks offered to you are strictly between the Contributor and the Campaign Owner and Beneficiary. Indiegogo does not represent, warrant or guarantee:
Perks will be delivered;
Perks will be satisfactory to you; or
The use of any Contributions or the outcome of any Campaign. It is up to you, as the Contributor, to ask such questions and undertake such due diligence as you deem necessary before you make a Contribution. Indiegogo may, in its sole discretion and judgment but is under no obligation to, seek the refund of Contributions."
We recommend that the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if he or she is interested in receiving a refund. By creating a campaign on Indiegogo, the campaign owner agrees to use funds and fulfill all perks as stated in their campaign. If, for any reason, they are unable to use Contributions as described in their Campaign, they agree to work contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution which may include, without limitation, refunding the Contribution(s). The contributor can use our Terms of Use in the court of law.
We have also reached out to the campaign owner to remind them of their obligation as well, and shared this contributor's contact information with the campaign owner to get in touch with this contributor. However, because funds have already been disbursed to the campaign owner, and because contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment processor, we are unable to issue a refund to this contributor
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 11, 2014/03/17) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
When I made the "contribution", that clause was not part of their webpage. The only caveat they stated was that you should confirm with the principals of the campaign what they would do if the monetary goal was not reached. I did my due diligence and was told that if the campaign did not reach their goals, they would hold second and third campaign until the goal was reached and then they would complete the project and honor the perks.
As well, the policy as stated above gives Indiegog no accountability at all for the money they are funneling through their website. By their logic, I can create a campaign claiming to be an injured war vet needing an artificial leg and promising items in return for contributions. If it turns out that I am a 17 year old boy just trying to scam people out of money for an iPad, there is no accountability. Indiegog gets to keep their percentage and the donor has no recourse except to file a civil suit which depending on whether the person is even in the US becomes almost impossible. Indiegogo has become nothing but an elaborate money laundering scheme which is why it is the recipient of so many complaints here and elsewhere.
Why would anyone contribute $1000 for a campaign if there is no promise of a return on that contribution. They ignored over a dozen emails when the campaign was completed as did the principals of the campaign. Neither party will even pursue the issue. They got their percentage and when it turned out that this and many other campaigns were refusing to honor their promises simply added a clause that says we accept no responsibility that the perks will be honored or that the campaign is even real!!
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2014/03/28) */
As we have outlined to the contributor, Indiegogo is not able to guarantee that perks will be delivered or deemed satisfactory. The nature of crowdfunding is such that campaigns on Indiegogo are raising funds for work-in-progress projects, ideas, or causes. Contributing to a campaign and claiming a perk on Indiegogo is not the same as buying something online. Because projects may still be in their early stages, many things can happen between the time the project is raising funds and the expected project release date. While your contribution brings the campaign idea closer to becoming reality, there's always the chance that a project may end up falling through, and the campaign owner may not be able to offer their contributors the perks they'd originally promised.
That said, campaign owners are still held by our Terms of Use (http://www.indiegogo.com/about/terms) to fulfill perks. If for any reason they're unable to offer you the perk you claimed, campaign owners are obligated to reach out to their contributors and work out a mutually satisfactory resolution- this resolution could be an alternative perk, a promise to issue the promised perk at a later date if the campaign owner is able to raise additional funds, or a refund.
In this particular case, the campaign owner has been in touch with us and let us know that they are willing, and have tried to work with the contributor to fulfill their perks. We recommend that the contributor work with the campaign owner to come to a satisfactory agreement and are currently trying to facilitate communication between the two parties. However, because the above mentioned situation is a normal part of crowdfunding, contributions are nonrefundable by Indiegogo and have already been used by the campaign owner as stated in their campaign, we will not be issuing a refund to the contributor.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2014/03/31) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
No I do not accept the company's response. Is a completely unethical and illegal position. They cannot raise money for campaigns and keep a percentage of it without any responsibility as to whether or not the campaign is real. This is not about the perks. This means that anybody can create a campaign , raise money for it and indigogo collects a percentage of it regardless of whether or not there's any intention of actually completing the campaign. What is to prevent somebody including me from creating a campaign under completely false pretenses and raising money for it knowing that I have no intention of doing the final product. As long as the compan raising the money gets to keep their percentage anybody can launder money thru this company. I should just get my money back by claiming to be raising money for a dying child that doesn't exist and take money from innocent people but as long as this company gets a percentage they don't care if I'm completely lying

Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to them, and in turn allows backers to help fund ideas they'd like to see come to life. Indiegogo does not run campaigns nor offer perks; rather, each individual Campaigner runs their own...

campaign. The Campaigner is solely responsible for their campaign, any offers or promises made therein, and distributing any perks they offer to Backers.
It is important to note that the nature of crowdfunding ([redacted] ) is that contributing to a campaign on Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a purchase in a store. People can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their project. Backers are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made project or item. Like anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might experience delays, changes to their original vision, or may not come to fruition. Indiegogo is not able to guarantee that perks will be fulfilled or that, if fulfilled, the Backer will find them satisfactory. We have tips on how to evaluate a campaign in our Help Center: [redacted].
Regarding this customer's refund request, our records show that this Backer’s contribution has already been sent to the campaigner, which means that a refund can no longer be issued by Indiegogo. Learn more about our refund policy [redacted], and in our Terms of Use, [redacted].
 
Therefore, we recommend the Backer reach out directly to the Campaigner if they have questions about the campaign, disputes about the perk received, or are interested in receiving a refund. Although we are unable to refund the Backer’s contribution, we have been in touch with this Backer and have shared the Campaigner’s contact information with this Backer in an effort to facilitate communication.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/25) */
We understand this customer has filed another Revdex.com complaint regarding this matter. We have already been in touch with this customer to outline Indiegogo's policies regarding refunds.
Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform which empowers...

people to raise funds for the things that matter to them. Contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment processor, and are non-refundable by Indiegogo, as stated in our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms.) Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refund. Although we are unable to refund the contributor's contribution, we have been in touch with this contributor and have shared the campaign owner's contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication.
By creating a campaign on Indiegogo, the campaign owner agrees to use funds and fulfill all perks as stated in their campaign. If, for any reason, they are unable to use Contributions as described in their Campaign, they agree to work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include refunding their Contributions.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/08/27) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Indigogo's Contributor company (GoSondors Bike) approved my refund over 30 days ago, I've informed Indiegogo and forwarded the okay e-mail for the refund, and Indiegogo now is using yet another excuse not to refund me. They are now claiming that my bank is holding the fund as I had filed a dispute with the bank 90 days ago but case closed 60 days ago. That's completely false as my bank is completely dumbfounded by this false claim by Indiegogo. I, as an unemployed single father on disability living on ZERO income have been jerked around for nearly 5 months now with this nonsense. It's like the blind leading the blind. Once they took my money they act all dumb.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/09/08) */
We understand that this customer has additional concerns regarding this matter.
Our records show that the credit card dispute, this customer noted, has been resolved with the banks. The bank has accepted our rebuttal to the dispute and the funds are remaining on the campaign.
Regarding the refund request, the funds from this customer's contribution have already been disbursed to the owner of the campaign, and were done so quite some time ago. As the campaign owner has the funds for this transaction, and contributions are not refundable by Indiegogo per our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms), any refunds will have to be issued directly from the campaign owner- not Indiegogo.
We wish this customer the best of luck in receiving a refund from the campaign owner.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2015/09/14) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

We understand this customer has additional points on this.
To clarify, our team has been in touch with this customer via email regarding this matter. We understand that this customer has filed a chargeback for their contribution. Chargebacks can take some time to be resolved. However, we see that per this customers note, the chargeback was settled in this customer’s favor.
 Regarding this customers original complaint about their perk, Indiegogo does not make claims or verify that a “campaign owner will deliver perks or that contributions will be used as described on the campaign.”  The decision to contribute to any campaign is in the sole determination of the contributor and their evaluation of the campaign, not Indiegogo. Our Terms of Use ([redacted] obligates campaign owners to fulfill any promised perks.
“Indiegogo is an online crowdfunding venue for people and entities seeking to raise funds for their own Campaigns and to contribute to the Campaigns of others. Campaign Owners can offer gifts or rewards in the form of tangible items or intangible services (collectively, "Perks") to Contributors. Perks are not offered for sale. Indiegogo makes no representations about the quality, safety, morality or legality of any Campaign, Perk or Contribution or the truth or accuracy of your User Content (as defined below) posted on the Service. Indiegogo does not represent that Campaign Owners will deliver Perks or that Contributions will be used as described in the Campaign. Users use the Service at their own risk."
Finally, we have been in contact with this contributor to explain our Terms of Use. We have also passed these concerns along to our Trust and Safety Team to review.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2014/12/22) */
We understand that this customer has some concerns with Indiegogo, Indiegogo's position as an open platform, and the "Pivothead SMART" campaign that raised funds on our platform.
Indiegogo provides an open crowdfunding platform...

permitting funds to be raised for a wide range of projects in accordance with our Terms of Use posted at www.indiegogo.com. Campaigns are run by their individual campaign owner's and not by Indiegogo. Indiegogo does not manage campaigns, nor does Indiegogo offer perks. Instead, all perks are offers made by Campaign Owners, and we recommend to any contributor who has questions about a campaign's offerings that make inquires of the campaign owner.
People can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their project. Contributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made project. Like anyone contributing to an early-stage project, contributors accept the risk that the project might not come to fruition. Again, Indiegogo does not make claims or verify that a "campaign owner will deliver perks or that contributions will be used as described on the campaign." The decision to contribute to any campaign is in the sole determination of the contributor and their evaluation of the campaign, not Indiegogo.
We have already been in touch with this contributor regarding this matter. As the campaign owner is the party solely responsible for their campaign and any perks offered therein, we have provided the campaign owner's contact information to this contributor to facilitate communication. We also recommend this contributor review the campaign update's tab (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pivothead-smart/#activity) for the most up-to-date information from the campaign owner on the status of their product development, and when they expect to deliver them. Regarding refunds, per Indiegogo's Terms of Use (https://www.indiegogo.com/about/terms) contributions are non-refundable by Indiegogo. We recommend this contributor convey their request for a refund to the campaign owner.
That said, in order to maintain the openness of our platform while protecting the security of our users, Indiegogo uses a proprietary fraud detection algorithm to quickly catch violations or unwanted behavior on our platform. We also rely on our team of Trust and Safety experts to review and verify activity on our platform and take the appropriate action. Finally, we have a fantastic community of users who let us know about suspicious or inappropriate behavior that helps us keep our platform secure.
Finally, we appreciate this customers thoughts on Indiegogo's position as an open platform. Indiegogo offers a space for innovation and discovery. Instead we provide a platform where people who are passionate [redacted] their ideas can connect with funders who believe in their vision. It's a core part of our ethos as a business and we vehemently stand by this belief. Our customers deserve the opportunity to fund ideas they believe in. The crowd is entitled to decide, eyes wide open, what concepts they want to have a part in trying to advance.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 10, 2014/12/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
First, I want to thank you for allowing me to express my concerns against a giant company like Indiegogo. This company is on it's way (if not already) to being a billion dollar company. Soon the only way they will feel obligated to make any changes will be through City, State or Federal political pressure. I appreciate that you were able to get somewhat of an un-automated response regarding my complaint. However, as I expected, they are pretty much passing [redacted] blame to the Pivothead SMART campaign owners.
So, let me explain why I do not except their response. When supporting a cause or raising funds for a person in need on Indiegogo, contributors are well aware they are supporting without the expectation of receiving anything in return. However, when people contribute to Indiegogo Product Development campaigns, they absolutely believe they will be receiving a product, if campaigns reach their goal or in the case of Pivothead SMART, exceed their goal. Indiegogo requires campaign owners offer several "perks" based on the amount supporters are willing to contribute. The lower perks sometimes don't offer the actual product in development. In that case, a small token of thanks is given for participation. However, if you do not know the campaign owner personally, and you contribute a substantial amount (more than the product will actually cost if purchased directly) then I believe contributors absolutely expect to receive the "Perk" promised. Kickstarter is also a funding platform but it's an all or nothing platform. This means if the campaign organizer does not reach their goal, all supporters receive their money back. Indiegogo charges a fee to post campaigns AND allows campaign organizers to keep ALL the funds raised regardless if they meet their goals or not. They also allow organizers to go out for a 2nd round of funding even after reaching their primary goal. So basically, Indiegogo supports the campaign organizers, they do not support the campaign contributors. I have been very vocal as have many other contributors. If you look at the comment section, their are several complaints including a request to start a Class Action Lawsuit. The problem is that there is no contact name, physical address, or phone number for Pivothead SMART. Correspondence is only by email. Per Indiegogo's request, I went out to Pivothead Smart and asked that they respond to my complaint. This was their reply: 12/2/2014 "Hi [redacted], We are working on an update for all our backers soon. Without setting an exact date, I can tell you that the SMART series Pivotheads are well underway and currently in the final stages of QC. We are also working on details pertaining to the beta, the app & a few other little things, as well as continuing to work on existing Pivothead items. Our team is small but very hard working, so please excuse the delay. And I can assure you, it's not vaporware. Thank you. www.pivothead.com" Then the PivotheadSMART campaign organizer immediately deleted my comments and others on their page that questioned this campaigns validity. That frustrated me so I went out to Indiegogo again and let them know I was contacting the Revdex.com. This was Indiegogo's reply: "Dec XX XX:XX: Hi [redacted], Thanks for reaching out and for your feedback on Indiegogo's commenting system. At this time, public comments can only be posted by Indiegogo users who have contributed to a campaign. While campaign owner's do currently have the ability to delete comments in the interface, we highly recommend that campaign owners only using this functionality to delete spam comments. While campaign owner's do have the ability to delete comments, they also get notifications of every comment made to their campaign page. I can appreciate that it is frustrating should a campaign owner delete comments that are intended to question the status of a perk etc. I have passed [redacted] comments regarding this frustration, along to the appropriate team as feedback on our commenting system. We're always interested in hearing from our customers and your input is extremely valuable in creating a better platform for everyone, so thank you again for taking the time to share. Finally, the campaign owner is the party solely responsible for their campaign and any perks offered. We have previously provided you with additional means of contacting the owner of this campaign in Ticket #XXXXXX, including social media accounts, and the email address of the campaign owner, in an effort to facilitate communication between the two parties. Best, [redacted], Customer Happiness Supervisor, Indiegogo." If you look at the comment section right now on the Pivothead SMART campaign page, you will see there are still complaints regarding the same issues I had. Nothing is being done except Indiegogo is deflecting blame. What really makes matters worse, is the fact that Pivothead has us (campaign contributors) on their mailing list. They have the audacity to send us emails advertising a version of the product they promised us, for sale in stores like Target, Sammy's Camera, and Willoughby's! So you're selling a version of the product that you are telling us is still in the QC stage? That doesn't make sense. I went to a local Target and they did not in fact carry this product. All Indiegogo campaigns are not fraudulent. However, the Pivothead SMART campaign is suspect and I will continue to be vocal until all 360 contributors receive the perks promised or until Indiegogo resolves this issue. Thank you.
Happy Holidays!
Final Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2015/01/12) */
We understand that this customer was not satisfied with our prior response.
As an open platform, campaign owners may raise funds for a wide variety of projects, from entrepreneurial, to creative, to cause-related campaigns. As has been previously outlined, the nature of crowdfunding is such that campaigns on Indiegogo are raising funds for work-in-progress projects, ideas, or causes.
Again, it's important to note that contributing to a campaign and claiming a perk on Indiegogo is not the same as buying something online. Because projects may still be in their early stages, many things can happen between the time the project is raising funds and the expected project release date. While your contribution brings the campaign idea closer to becoming reality, there's always the chance that a project may end up falling through, and the campaign owner may not be able to offer their contributors the perks they'd originally promised.
We appreciate this customer's thoughts that they "believe contributors absolutely expect to receive the "Perk" promised." In addition to posting this content in many help center articles and places on our website, we also tell each contributor the following, before they complete their transaction: "By clicking 'Continue', you acknowledge that you understand that you are contributing to a work-in-progress and not making a direct purchase. Perks are managed by the campaigners and cannot be guaranteed by Indiegogo. Your click also acknowledges that you agree to the Indiegogo Terms of Use."
Again, Indiegogo does not manage perks. The information Indiegogo has on when this campaign expects to fulfill their perks, is the same as this contributor- what the campaign owner has posted on their campaign page and updates tab. We recommend that this contributor continue to get in touch with the owner of this campaign if they have questions about the status of the project, or when they can expect to receive their perks.
We have already been in touch with this contributor and have provided the campaign owner's contact information to this contributor to facilitate communication.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 14, 2015/01/28) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I do NOT accept this business' resolution because it does not resolve the problem. I standby my original statement that Indiegogo is allowing people (sometimes disguised as legitimate US businesses) to rip off their registered subscribers/contributors. Indiegogo does not make it clear on the front pages of any campaigns that organizers may NOT deliver perks as stated even when goals are met an exceeded. Indiegogo declines responsibility for campaigns and their perks when registering for the site, at which point a user has not even decided whether they will even be supporting a campaign financially. Also, I have a major issue with Indiegogo claiming to have given me the Campaign Organizer's (Pivothead Smart) contact information to help facilitate with this issue. Indiegogo gave me a general email which resulted in the one response I stated before saying something to the effect of 'Don't worry, this is a real product and not "Vapor-Wear"'? You can check the message board and see that Pivothead Smart is even deleting people's questions and comments about why no one has yet to receive what was promised. Even if you go to www.pivothead.com, there is NO phone number, no address, no country, no President/Founder/Board Member name or anything close to verify this is a legitimate company, doing business in the US. In that case, all we have to go on is what Indiegogo posts and what they allow to be displayed. It appears as though Indiegogo is indeed vouching for this Pivothead Campaign. So yes, I believe Indiegogo is responsible because they host bogus campaigns while protecting their Campaign Organizer's identity. They take money from unsuspecting contributors and supporters, without making sure compaigns follow through on promises. Last but not least, they have the audacity to allow campaign organizers to utilize OUR personal email and contact info to send us advertisements on how we can purchase an item that we have already been promised as a perk and never received? Every email advertisement I get from retailers such as Target, Staples, or online affiliates advertising the Pivothead Wearable Glasses is a slap in the face to all the Indiegogo financial contributors of this product. How can Indiegogo in good conscience stand back and allow this Campaign organizer to tell us we are not receiving perks as promised because the product is still in production while selling the product in retail stores and online? This is fraudulent in my opinion.

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: Indegogo should not give excuses why businesses they connect people to are not their responsibulity, but rather should step up to push these companies to meet their commitments to the people who paid money to support them.
Indegogo should help - not make excuses why they don't.Sincerely,[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/10/06) */
Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to them. As the contributor states in their complaint, contributing to a campaign on Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a purchase...

in a store. People can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their project. Contributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made project. Like anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might experience delays, changes to their original vision, or may not come to fruition. We have tips on how to evaluate a campaign in our Help Center: http://support.indiegogo.com/entries/XXXXXXXX-how-to-evaluate-a-campaign.
Contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment processor, and are non-refundable by Indiegogo, as stated in our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms.) Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refund. Although we are unable to refund the contributor's contribution, we have been in touch with this contributor and have shared the campaign owner's contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/10/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
While Indiegogo makes it a point to give people a feeling of security by emphasizing the campaign managers are still responsible to provide perks even if goal isn't reached they don't use that same language to warn people that they will do nothing to ensure it happens. I feel this practice misleads people that visit their website into a false feeling of security and into believing there is some protection when clearly they accept payments and then take no responsibility at all. I will always believe that they simply took advantage of a 100% disabled veteran and intend to let the world know what happened to me. I plan to contact the media now.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2015/10/25) */
We understand this customer has additional concerns on this matter.
Indiegogo provides an open crowdfunding platform permitting funds to be raised for a wide range of projects in accordance with our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms). Campaigns are run by their individual campaign owner's and not by Indiegogo. Indiegogo does not manage campaigns, nor does Indiegogo offer perks. Instead, all perks are offers made by Campaign Owners, and we recommend to any contributor who has questions about a campaign's offerings that make inquires of the campaign owner.
People can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their project. Contributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made project. Like anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might not come to fruition. Again, Indiegogo does not make claims or verify that a "campaign owner will deliver perks or that contributions will be used as described on the campaign." The decision to contribute to any campaign is in the sole determination of the contributor and their evaluation of the campaign, not Indiegogo. We recommend that each contributor go through their own vetting process before they decide to contribute. We have compiled a list of how to evaluate a campaign, as a good starting point: https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXX-How-to-Evaluate-a-Campaig...⇄ /> Additionally, our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms) outline the following:
"Indiegogo is an online crowdfunding venue for people and entities seeking to raise funds for their own Campaigns and to contribute to the Campaigns of others. Campaign Owners can offer gifts or rewards in the form of tangible items or intangible services (collectively, "Perks") to Contributors. Perks are not offered for sale. Indiegogo makes no representations about the quality, safety, morality or legality of any Campaign, Perk or Contribution or the truth or accuracy of User Content (as defined below) posted on the Services. Indiegogo does not represent that Campaign Owners will deliver Perks or that Contributions will be used as described in the Campaign. Users use the Services at their own risk."
In order to maintain the openness of our platform while protecting the security of our users, Indiegogo uses a proprietary fraud detection algorithm to quickly catch violations or unwanted behavior on our platform. We also rely on our team of Trust and Safety experts to review and verify activity on our platform and take the appropriate action. Finally, we have a fantastic community of users who let us know about suspicious or inappropriate behavior that helps us keep our platform secure.
That said, we appreciate this customers thoughts on Indiegogo's position as an open platform. Indiegogo offers a space for innovation and discovery. Instead we provide a platform where people who are passionate [redacted] their ideas can connect with funders who believe in their vision. It's a core part of our ethos as a business and we vehemently stand by this belief. Our customers deserve the opportunity to fund ideas they believe in. The crowd is entitled to decide, eyes wide open, what concepts they want to have a part in trying to advance.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 13, 2015/10/28) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I contacted Indiegogo prior to them releasing funds to the campaign manager PER THEM and they still released funds though I had not received my "PERK" They can hide behind their well written legal jargon. I'm a DISABLED VET and saved for years to buy the "PERK" in question. They had tons of complaints about this campaign manager and there is over a DOZEN people in my same situation. Indiegogo says they released funds AFTER I COMPLAINED and offer ME NO PROTECTION.
Their email states,
" At this time, your contribution has not been added to the campaign and we have advised the campaign owner not to ship any perks"
then,
"Your Contribution is on its [redacted] to the Campaign! Thank You for Your Patience.
Hello [redacted],
We have an update on the status of the charge dispute filed by [redacted], for the contribution to 'Quality Greenhouses anyone can afford !' on April 7, 2015 for $5,000 USD.
Your credit card company has accepted the rebuttal submitted by Indiegogo and has reversed the dispute for this charge. Your contribution will be added back to the campaign and you will now be eligible to receive any perks. The campaign owner has also been notified of this update.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
The Indiegogo Team
"They claim no responsibility but received all of my $5000. I have nothing but time to inform the public of my treatment and help ensure others don't have the same terrible experience.
I plan to speak to my congressmen next because they do care of people taking advantage of disabled vets.

Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to them, and in turn allows backers to help fund ideas they'd like to see come to life.
 
Regarding this customer's refund request, our records show that this contributor’s...

contribution has already been sent to the campaigner, which means that a refund can no longer be issued by Indiegogo. Learn more about our refund policy [redacted], and in our Terms of Use, [redacted].
 
Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refund. Although we are unable to refund the contributor’s contribution, we have been in touch with this contributor and have shared the campaign owner’s contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/13) */
We understand the campaign owner's concern, and apologize for any frustration. Campaign funds are typically disbursed within 15 business days of a campaign's deadline. However, it is possible for the arrival of funds to be delayed due to...

campaign verification and/or incomplete or incorrect bank account information. When any contribution is placed on hold for review, a notice is automatically and immediately sent to both the campaign owner and contributor. The contributor is prompted to provide more information for Indiegogo's internal review, and the campaign owner is notified of the status of the contribution and assured that further details are pending, depending on Indiegogo's final informed decision.
Delays such as this are accounted for in our Terms of Use posted at http://www.indiegogo.com/about/terms. It is unfortunate that this campaign experienced a delay while our Team verified the contribution under review.
With that said, we have already been in contact with the campaign owner directly in order to facilitate the disbursement of their funds as quickly as possible. We are happy to note that this campaign owner's funds have already been disbursed in our last disbursement cycle. Typically, campaign owner's see the funds in their accounts from 3 - 5 business days after disbursement- though may be longer for international accounts.
Should this campaign owner have further questions about their disbursement, or if they are unable to locate their funds after 5 business days, they are welcome to contact us (https://support.indiegogo.com/).

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:what I did to "update" my account information was to delete one number and retype the same number. I had asked several times how they were notified of the bank rejection and that I needed a copy of this bank rejection. I worked in banking for well over 10 years and understand how ACH payments work. I find it really hard to believe that the bank gives you no documentation when sending funds back to you. I don't feel like this company is being honest with me. And people should know what kind of company they are dealing with. Sincerely,[redacted]

I don't understand when I review the email I sent to you which is now posted, I can open all the attachments. What else can I do?

Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to them, and in turn allows backers to help fund ideas they'd like to see come to life.
It is important to note that the nature of crowdfunding...

([redacted]) is that contributing to a campaign on Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a purchase in a store. People can raise money for various things, and be at various stages of their project. Contributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made project or item. Like anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might experience delays, changes to their original vision, or may not come to fruition. Indiegogo is not able to guarantee that perks will be fulfilled or that, if fulfilled, the Backer will find them satisfactory. We have tips on how to evaluate a campaign in our Help Center: [redacted].
Regarding this customer's refund request, our records show that this contributor’s contribution has already been sent to the campaigner, which means that a refund can no longer be issued by Indiegogo. Learn more about our refund policy [redacted] and in our Terms of Use, [redacted].
 
Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refund. Although we are unable to refund the contributor’s contribution, we have been in touch with this contributor and have shared the campaign owner’s contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/07/29) */
Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform which empowers people to raise funds for the things that matter to them. Contributions made through Indiegogo are transactions that take place between the campaign owner, contributor, and payment...

processor, and are non-refundable by Indiegogo, as stated in our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms.) Therefore, we recommend the contributor reach out directly to the campaign owner if they are interested in receiving a refund. Although we are unable to refund the contributor's contribution, we have been in touch with this contributor and have shared the campaign owner's contact information with this contributor in an effort to facilitate communication.
By creating a campaign on Indiegogo, the campaign owner agrees to use funds and fulfill all perks as stated in their campaign. If, for any reason, they are unable to use Contributions as described in their Campaign, they agree to work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include refunding their Contributions.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/08/03) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
IndieGoGo didn't even read this complaint and the updated that have been added because it was stated by Campaign owner (See original complaint has a Copy of the email that was added to the Complaint) that the Campaign Owner agreed to the refund and referred me to IndieGoGo to collect the refund seeing as IndieGoGo has the money and took the money from my credit card.
This is the prime example of what this complaint is about that IndieGoGo business practices do not have any Consumer Protection and is evading there responsibility as the collector of the funds in the state of California from my credit card and they still maintain the collected funds.
IndieGoGo is evading there responsibility as the business owner and the collector of the money from the credit card to refund the money ASAP because IndieGoGo stated all the responsibility have been meet by there own rules stated in this complaint and have still not done anything.
IndieGoGo is doing business in California and has no consumer protects! The state of California needs to investigate this company and there illegal business practices. The Better Business also needs to protect consumers even more because its one of there own business partners.
________________________________________________
Here is a email I got from Micro Drone 2.0 that IndieGoGo said I should ask them. The referred me to about getting my money back and as you can read they said they understand and I should talk with IndieGoGo
Hi [redacted],
Apologies for the delay in replying to your email. I just came back and read your email and I checked our archives and this is the only email I received. Anyway, I do understand, that's not a problem, we suggest you email or contact Indiegogo about the cancellation so that they can process this for you.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to email us back and we would be happy to assist you.
Thank you.
Regards,
[redacted]
Extreme Fliers Customer Service Dpt.
www.[redacted].com
[redacted]
Here is IndieGoGo email email about getting a refund :
[redacted], Jul 15, 11:29:
Hi [redacted],
Thanks for reaching out about this. If you're interested in receiving a refund, we recommend you get in touch with the campaign owner directly.
*@[redacted].co.uk
[redacted] - Founder
Contributions made through Indiegogo are between the campaign owner and contributor and are nonrefundable by Indiegogo. Learn more about our Refund Policy here: http://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXX-Refunds
Thanks for your understanding.
Cheers,
[redacted]
Payments Supervisor
Indiegogo (www.indiegogo.com)
Learn Best Practices
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So please understand my concerns with IndieGoGo and it's No Consumer Protection polices. So please let me know what I need to next to get as fare away from this company as possible and its bad business practices and lack of customer service followup as evident in IndieGoGo of lack of response from the Revdex.com forwarding of this complaint.
Please help me to make sure that other consumers know how IndieGoGo do business with No Consumer Protections

Final Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2015/08/06) */
We understand that this customer has additional concerns on this matter.
As previously outlined, both in this Revdex.com complaint thread as well as in this customer's interactions with Indiegogo directly, Contributions made through Indiegogo are between the campaign owner and contributor and are nonrefundable by Indiegogo. Our Terms of Use (www.indiegogo.com/about/terms) states:

"Refunds
Contributions, including the Service Fees portion thereof, are not refundable. If a Campaign Owner is unable to perform on any promise and/or commitment to Contributors (including delivering any Perks), the Campaign Owner will work with the Contributors to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution, which may include the issuance of a refund of Contributions by the Campaign Owner."
As such, while we are glad to see that this particular campaign owner is willing to work with this contributor on approving their refund, the campaign owner will have to issue a refund directly to the contributor. In this case, the funds have already been disbursed to the campaign owner and it is their sole obligation to issue refunds to their contributors. Per the previously outlined policy, Indiegogo does not issue them on the campaigner's behalf.
We have been in touch with this contributor to explain this policy. Additionally, we have also reached out to the owner of this campaign to reiterate our policies and their obligations in this matter.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 13, 2015/08/10) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Again IndieGoGo has missed the the point so let me be very clear. IndieGoGo did the dudigilance about allowing any one to have a Campaign on its platform Plus IndieGoGo took the money from my credit card so it is IndieGoGo responsibility to take care of its customers and have customer service. IndieGoGo Business practices are illegal because they cant pass [redacted] there responsibility to a third person. IndieGoGo has no Consumer Protection for it's customers.
The Revdex.com has proof of this just the number of complaints on IndieGoGo plus there answer to resolved any issue is using there terms and conditions. IndieGoGo terms and condition are not the answer to the problem . This complaint is about the illegal business practices of NO CONSUMER PROTECTION and NO CUSTOMER SERVICE.
The answer to this problem is IndieGoGo need to Refund the full amount of the Money they collected before the Campaign ends. That is called customer service
The State of California Attorney General Kamala Devi Harris office and the Securities and Exchange Commission are both looking into the problem of NO Consumer Protection of IndieGoGo and I sure hope that the Revdex.com is going to get on board very soon or they will become part of the problem.
Thanks [redacted]

We understand this customer has additional concerns on this matter, as they have not received a refund from the owner of this campaign.
As has previously outlined, Indiegogo is not able to issue this customer a refund for their contribution. Our Terms of Use outline:
"Refunds
Backers may request a refund from Indiegogo before the end of a Campaign here. For Campaigns that have entered the InDemand program, Backers may request a refund from Indiegogo within 10 days of the contribution, here. Contributions are eligible for a refund by Indiegogo unless (a) the contribution funds have already been transferred to the Campaigner, (b) the Perk associated with the contribution has been fulfilled, or (c) Indiegogo determines that there has been an abuse of these Terms of Use. Indiegogo reserves the right to terminate User Accounts and remove Campaigns for any abuse of this refund policy. For Campaigns that have ended, or in situations where the contribution funds have been transferred to the Campaigner, Backers should contact the Campaigner directly regarding refunds."
Campaigners are the party solely responsible for their campaigns, including fulfilling any perks they offered therein, and the decision to issue any refunds for transactions that fall outside of our refund policy is the sole discretion and business decision of the Camapaigner. As such, if this customer has questions about the campaign, when they can expect to receive their perks, or would like to receive a refund from this Campaigner, this customer will need to make inquires of the Campaigner, directly. We are unable to mediate this dispute, but have previously provided this customer with the Campaigner's contact information in an effort to facilitate communication.
We wish them the best of luck in arriving at a resolution to their dispute, with the Campaigner.

We understand this customer has additional concerns on this matter, as they have not received a refund from the owner of this campaign.
As has previously outlined, Indiegogo is not able to issue this customer a refund for their contribution. Our[redacted] outline:
"Refunds
Contributors may request a refund from Indiegogo before the end of a Campaign here. For Campaigns that have entered the InDemand program, Contributors may request a refund from Indiegogo within 10 days of the contribution, here. Contributions are eligible for a refund by Indiegogo unless (a) the contribution funds have already been transferred to the Campaign Owner, (b) the Perk associated with the contribution has been fulfilled, or (c) Indiegogo determines that there has been an abuse of these Terms of Use. Indiegogo reserves the right to terminate User Accounts and remove Campaigns for any abuse of this refund policy. For Campaigns that have ended, or in situations where the contribution funds have been transferred to the Campaign Owner, Contributors should contact the Campaign Owner directly regarding refunds."
Campaign owners are the party solely responsible for their campaigns, including fulfilling any perks they offered therein. As such, if this customer has questions about the campaign, when they can expect to receive their perks, or would like to receive a refund from this campaign owner, this customer will need to make inquires of the campaign owner, directly. We are unable to mediate this dispute, but have previously provided this customer with the campaign owner's contact information in an effort to facilitate communication.
We wish this customer the best of luck in arriving at a resolution to their dispute, with the campaign owner.

We understand the campaign owner’s concern, and apologize for any frustration. Campaign funds are typically disbursed within 15 business days of a campaign’s deadline. However, it is possible for the arrival of funds to be delayed due to campaign verification and/or incomplete or incorrect bank...

account information. Delays such as this are in accordance with our Terms of Use posted at [redacted].
 
It is unfortunate that this campaign experienced a delay. However, we are glad to have been able to resolve this issue and confirm this campaign's funds were sent out in the last cycle. This campaigner should have received an email notification of this, as well as additional information on when they can expect to see the funds in their account. 
We are happy to see this resolved and wish the customer well.

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
the terms of the business say that I can request a refund prior to the campaign ending. the business should not have sent the fund before the end of the campaign 
Sincerely,[redacted]